I had planned to post my book club post on Friday. Yes, I know, today is Sunday. Never fear–the post is coming! Soon. Trust me. A sick toddler, editorial deadlines and a few other little things here and there kept me from writing the post when I wanted to. It will be up Tuesday, I promise! And, the good news is that if you haven’t read The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell by Loraine Despres yet, you still have a few more days! So, go buy it or check it out from the library, lock yourself in your room and devour every word. Then stop by and leave a comment.
Category Archives: Blog
Test Your Speed
Have you ever wondered if you’re getting what you pay for when it comes to your internet speed? Today I learned you can test your speed simply by visiting www.speedtest.net. It only takes seconds. I was happy to learn that my internet is actually running faster than the speeds the cable company promised. A panelist at a conference I attended today recommend you check your speeds periodically and call your provider if the speeds are lower than they should be. I love when things work exactly as they should, so I was happy to see mine are right on track.
Stuff Journalists Like
A fellow Medill alum sent out a link to a fun Web site that documents all those things journalists like, such as bylines, free food, drinking and the good old days. I got a kick out of it and thought I would share: http://www.stuffjournalistslike.com/list-.html. While I love my new life as a work-from-home freelancer, the list did make me miss my newsroom days filled with desk dining and breaking news. Take a look at the list and let me know what you think.
And the Winners Are…
Oops! Special thanks to a loyal reader who pointed out yesterday’s post announcing the winners didn’t appear. That’s what happens when I try to schedule a post instead of doing it in real time. Go figure!
First of all, thanks to everyone who left comments on my Q&A with Loraine Despres. I can’t wait to read her book for the virtual book club!
There were eight people who left comments and I am giving away two of her autographed bookplates. I combined the comments from both days and used Random.org to generate the numbers of the winners. They were #5 and #6, so congratulations, which were Allison and Janice. BUT…Allison graciously turned hers back in since she got this read from the library.
So–I turned to Random.org once again and this time pulled the lucky #4, which is Sandy! I’ll get the book plates in the mail right away.
Author Q&A: Loraine Despres (Part 2)
Like I said in yesterday’s post, best-selling author Loraine Despres and I had such a great conversation last week, it warranted a two-part blog post. Today she tells us about her experiences as a writer.
Q. Can you tell me about your writing process?
A. When I’m writing and particularly when it is going well, I write until I’m at a loss for words. When you write for television, the show has to go on, so you have to get it done. I would love to be one of those people who could start at 6:00 and be done for the day at 10:00, but I usually write from 10:00 to 5:00.
If I’m writing something, it is the first thing I have to do. It is just like when you go to an office and have a job, you have to put that first. It is more important than getting your nails done or chatting with your mom. When I am working on a novel, that is my job.
When I had a small child, I worked during his school time, but I worked every day. People believe if you’re a writer, that it is what you do in your spare time when you have nothing else to do. People who say that are not writers. The real difference between a writer and a non-writer is showing up.
I did a lot of research. If there are any mistakes, they truly are mistakes because I wanted it to be very accurate. A doctor helped me find out about old abortions. I got old Life magazines and would go to the library so I could describe what people wore.
Q. What was your favorite part of the writing process?
A. Sissy was really special. The best part was when I would not be able to sleep at night because she’d be talking to me.
Q. Did you write the novel in a linear fashion or did you go back and forth on sections?
A. It was mostly linear. In television you always outline and I always hated outlining because you don’t have characters that are talking to each other. With this, I kind of knew what the story was. I let my characters talk to me for about 60 pages and then I outlined. If you can outline, it makes the writing process easier.
Q. Were there any parts of the novel you left on the cutting room floor?
A. With Sissy—not much. Those characters really came alive to me. I had been writing so hard for television and you’re in such a box. I would get to something like when Parker came home with Clara and I said, ‘Can I really make her the daughter of a bigoted candidate for Congress?’ I thought, ‘Hell ya.’ I was writing it for myself and I thought I might as well have fun with it.
Q. I love the language in the novel.
A. Thank you. My publisher called this literary fiction with a mass-market appeal. I work very hard on every word. It has to be beautiful, it has to sound like poetry. I try to change people’s lives.
Don’t forget that I am giving away two autographed book plates Loraine sent. Just leave a comment by 5:00 Eastern on Friday, Oct. 16. I’ll announce the winners on Monday.
You’ll also want to visit Loraine’s blog and her Web site to learn more about her and her novels. You can check out my review of The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc here.
Author Q&A: Loraine Despres (Part 1)
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I am so excited to present part one of a two-part Q&A with best-selling author Loraine Despres. Loraine is the author of The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc, The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell and The Southern Belle’s Handbook, Sissy LeBlanc’s Rules to Live By. If you read my post about The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc, you know that I fell in love with the book. The writing is beautiful and the plot lines are engaging. Prior to writing novels, Loraine wrote for television and is known for writing the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of DALLAS.
Loraine was nice enough to talk with me about the novel and her experience writing it. She also sent me autographed bookplates, and I’m giving away two this week to some lucky readers. Just leave a comment by 5:00 Eastern on Friday, Oct. 16. I’ll announce the winners on Monday.
Q. How long did it take you to write the novel?
A. I worked on it for three years. They say hard writing makes easy reading. I thought it was going to take me six months. I told my agent to leave me alone and let me finish it. But then I couldn’t get it published. My agent got responses such as we love the writing, but we don’t know how to sell it. I said it was a literary novel. Not interested. I said it was a woman’s novel, but in the 90s a woman’s novel was a mean husband torturing his wife. I said it was a beach read, but they said no. It wasn’t until Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood came out that it sold, and then it sold right away and went on to become a national best seller.
When it didn’t look like Sissy was going to get published, the thing that made me really sad was that nobody would get to meet Belle Cantrell, Sissy’s grandmother. She was so much like the ladies that were my grandmother’s friends.
Q. I read in your acknowledgments that Sissy was created in Deena Metzger’s workshop. Can you tell me more about it?
A. I was in a writing workshop because I needed a creative push. Deena asked us to write a short story in 20 minutes. The story I came up with was something from my family history. Back in the 30s, a man [walked into a bar and saw his wife sitting with another man. He went across the street into what was at that time my grandfather’s department store, and bought a gun. Then he walked back across the street and shot them both. My grandfather was so upset he made a rule– no more handguns on credit. I called the short story “Gun Control.” Then the character of Sissy kept coming back to me, and because I’m a professional writer I paid attention. I thought I would write the scene where Sissy and Parker meet. Then I said, ‘Well I’ll write the next scene.’ I thought maybe I’d have some linked short stories. Then I was in a restaurant and someone said Bourreé Johnson would be a good name. I thought Bourreé LeBlanc would have to be Sissy’s father-in-law. I wrote the scene of them meeting in the woods. I never changed that scene. [Mindy’s note: The scene Loraine is referring to is in chapter 13 and totally surprised me.]
Q. Did Sissy drive the plot, or did the plot drive Sissy?
A. Sissy definitely came first. Originally she looked like my friend’s sister who I thought looked very glamorous. She wasn’t like her at all, but sort of had her look. I originally was going to put it in the 40s, but I decided I wanted to put it in the 50s at the beginning of the civil rights movement. I wanted to capture that part of the civil rights movement when white people became bigoted in a vocal way. I grew up in the south and the way the blacks were treated then was very awful and was something I couldn’t understand. I wanted to reflect that.
Q. Can you tell me more about the rules in the Southern Belle’s Handbook?
A. They were all created for the book but reflect the rules my mother and my grandmother set down for me. Generations of Southern wisdom, including the bad ones like don’t let a boy know how smart you are.
Come back tomorrow for more on my conversation with Loraine and her writing process. In the meantime, visit her blog and her Web site to learn more about her and her novels.
Announcing the Next Book Club Pick
Our first virtual book club meeting last week was a success! First, I want to thank Allison Winn Scotch for stopping by the blog and answering all of our questions about her novel Time of My Life. Thank you to everyone who read the book and stopped by to leave a comment, too. It was fun to see what everyone else had to say and was especially great to read Allison’s responses. You can keep up with Allison at her blog Ask Allison.
For our next selection…drumroll please…The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell
My virtual world and real life will collide in November as I am reading Belle for the online book club and hosting my local book club to discuss the book. I can’t wait! I am going to find some Southern recipes for my in-person meeting and will share the recipes online.
Loraine generously sent me autographed book plates that I am going to give away this week. Leave a comment on Monday and/or Tuesday for your chance to enter. You have until 5:00 Eastern Friday, Oct. 16 to enter. I will announce the winners on Monday, Oct. 19.